Author's Note: Hi all! I apologize for the wait, but for some reason this was hard to get out and every time I went to write it, it just didn't flow right. But, I got it done, as you can see - it's a little shorter than I'd like, but I thought that was a pretty good stopping place. I appreciate all your reviews! You guys are fantastic. For some in-between fics (Mini-fics), you can catch me on tumblr as incredibeale (: Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy - let me know your thoughts. And 12 is in progress.
Disclaimer: Eh. You know the drill.
Chapter Eleven
The first thing that Beca registers, is the smell of bacon. The second thing, is the sound of her son giggling and then soft murmurings that sound distinctly like Aubrey. Not yet ready to open her eyes and face the day, Beca sighs. It had been a long night of tossing and turning until she had come out to the couch so that she wouldn't wake up Jonah. What little sleep she did get had been filled with nightmares of the man who's name she never learned, even though he had told her countless times in his poor attempts at wooing her.
After another moment of trying to gather what little strength she has to face the day, Beca finally sits up. She stretches before standing and walking the short distance to the kitchen. The sight before her causes her heart to literally melt - okay, so it doesn't really melt, but Beca's pretty sure it slows and quickens simultaneously, which is probably not a good sign for her health - but, she smiles anyway.
Jonah is sitting on the counter, little legs swinging as he looks up at Aubrey with a sort of awed little face and a grin that looks a lot like Beca's. He's got what Beca assumes is either flour or powdered sugar smeared across his cheek. Aubrey is clearly frying something on the stove and whatever it is, smells heavenly. She's talking quietly to Jonah and smiling something soft and affectionate at him.
After another few seconds of staring, Beca leans against the wall and clears her throat to get their attention. "What are you two up to?" She asks, inwardly wincing at the raspy quality of her voice.
Two sets of eyes land on her, one full of happiness and one full of concern. "Mommy, Aubrey and me-"
"Aubrey and I." Aubrey corrects gently.
"Aubrey and I," Jonah amends, not at all bothered by the correction. "Made french toast and bacon! I told her french toast was your favorite."
Beca lofts a brow and smirks. "My favorite, or yours?" Jonah looks away sheepish, while Aubrey grabs a mug from the cabinet to her left and moves to pour coffee into it. She adds one cream and two sugars before wordlessly handing it to Beca.
The tiny brunette blinks, surprised, because she doesn't remember ever telling Aubrey how she takes her coffee. But, she doesn't have time to dwell on it, because Aubrey is smiling at her warmly and it's doing weird things to her heart. "I can make you something else if you're not up for french toast."
Shaking her head, Beca chuckles. "No, no, it's fine. I like french toast." She says, offering what she hopes is a thankful smile. Aubrey nods and goes back to the stove. It's then that Beca notices that a certain redhead is missing. "Where's Chlo?"
Aubrey turns her head slightly to smirk at her. "Chloe isn't a morning person. She's still in bed."
Beca's brows raise. "Chloe? Really? But she's all bubbly and sunshine and unicorns and crap. How is she not a morning person?"
"She never has been. She likes her sleep. But, breakfast is done, so maybe someone can go wake her up?" She smiles down at Jonah who's still perched on the counter, watching the two of them interact. "Would you do that for me?" She asks gently.
Jonah looks excited to have the task. He nods his head and holds up his arms and Aubrey just chuckles and lifts him gently before setting him to the floor. "Okay! Be right back!"
Both Beca and Aubrey watch him make his way down the hall to the last door. "At least this way she can't be grumpy at a cute face."
Beca shakes her head in amusement before taking a tentative sip of her coffee, eyes slipping closed at the taste.
"How are you feeling?" Beca's eyes snap open to find Aubrey looking at her with concern in her green eyes and Beca kind of hates and loves it. She doesn't like to be vulnerable, but her heart kind of flutters at the look the blonde is giving her.
Sighing, Beca rolls her shoulders and moves to sit at the small kitchen table in the corner of the kitchen. "I'm fine." It's a reflex, she knows because fine is what she's always had to be, even if she wasn't.
"Beca," Aubrey says, giving Beca a pointed look, hand going to her hip. "How are you, really?"
Beca frowns, jaw clenching a little before she glances away from Aubrey. "I don't know." She finally says quietly, and that's the truth, because she doesn't know. Beca's never been great at discerning her feelings and most of the time, she just represses the hell out of them (which probably isn't healthy, but whatever), because she doesn't have time to feel upset for very long. She has Jonah to take care of, he can't see her fall apart.
Aubrey opens her mouth to reply, but before she can say anything, something catches her eye and she promptly closes it. Beca follows her gaze and has to hold back a smile as Jonah tugs on Chloe's hand, his smile bright and Chloe's smile- well it looks more like a grimace.
Jonah drags her toward the table and Chloe sits -more like plops- in the chair across from Beca with something akin to a grunt.
Beca raises a brow and glances at Aubrey who's chuckling under her breath as she goes about pouring another cup of coffee before setting it in front of the redhead.
Chloe mumbles something unintelligible before her fingers wrap around the mug and she pulls it close like someone might come and take it from her. Though, Beca thinks if someone tries to take Chloe's coffee, they're liable to lose a hand with how grumpy she looks.
Jonah looks to Aubrey with a smile. "I had to climb onto the bed and shake her. She didn't want to get up." He says, trying to hold back a giggle.
"S'not fair- sending a tiny, adorable human to do your dirty work." Chloe says groggily as she takes a sip of her coffee, and Beca can tell the second it touches her soul with it's magical deliciousness, because the redhead's eyes slip closed and she sighs softly.
Behind her, Aubrey looks like she's trying to hold back a grin. "I knew you wouldn't be able to say no to that face. Now, let's eat." The blonde goes about dishing out food, setting a cup of orange juice in front of Jonah's plate, as well as her own.
After breakfast is had, Beca goes about calling her work, stating that she won't be in; that is after an awkward and brief re-telling of what happened. Her boss of course apologizes and says to take as much time as she needs and will happily pay her while she's off. Beca thanks her, stating that she'll probably just need a day or two, not wanting to put them out. Luckily, Beca doesn't have to work at the station, today, but- she thinks she should probably talk to Jesse.
The last time she'd spoken to him was when she was yelling at him before storming out of the semi-finals. He might be a little… much, sometimes (and if not annoyingly persistent in his flirting), but he'd grown on her. She knows it's time to be honest with him, because she definitely wants him as a friend.
But that would have to wait, for now - because Beca is tired. Mentally and physically, and she's trying hard to smile as her son talks animatedly to her about some character on TV and idly, Beca thanks every deity that he's seemed to have forgotten what happened last night, or is at least handling it better than she is. Of course she's always heard that kids are resilient like that.
Both Aubrey and Chloe seem to pick up on Beca's mood, because they do their best both separately and as a team to distract the little boy. So Beca spends her day in a funk, allowing herself to wallow, which - honestly isn't something she's allowed herself to do since she was a teenager.
By the time Jonah goes down for a much needed nap, Beca finds herself in the middle of Aubrey and Chloe. "Hey, Becs. How are you feeling?" She places a hand on Beca's knee and the brunette resists the urge to flinch.
"I'm fine." She intones with a forced shrug of her shoulders. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to put Jonah to bed. He okay?"
Aubrey shares a look with Chloe before she brings her concerned eyes to Beca. "He's fine, Beca. He's asleep."
"Though we did have to sing 'Here Comes The Sun' before he'd settle down." Chloe adds with a soft smile.
Beca chuckles, her lips curling up in a barely there smile. "I'm sure he just loved that." She sighs and scrapes her fingers through chocolate locks before dropping her head to the back of the couch. "Listen- I want to thank you guys for like… letting Jonah and I stay here, and for- keeping him occupied. I just- I need a day to process everything, ya know?"
"Beca-" Aubrey starts, but Beca cuts her off.
"I'm fine, really…" She wasn't, but she would be. "It could have been much worse." She pinches the bridge of her nose as a throbbing pain starts to make itself known behind her right eye. "I just- I just need to process." She says again.
"Okay, Becs." Chloe says gently, squeezing Beca's knee. And this time the urge to flinch is replaced by a feeling of comfort.
"But if you want to talk, we're here if you need us." Aubrey adds, sincerely.
Before anyone can say anything else, there's a loud cry that comes from the guest room, followed by Jonah's frantic voice that has Beca up like a shot and racing into the bedroom.
Jonah sits up in bed, tears streaming down his little cheeks and chest rising and falling too quickly for Beca's liking. "M-mommy." He stammers before babbling and hiccuping. Beca is there at his side in seconds, scooping him up and holding him tightly. She sways gently, like she used to when he would cry as an infant, murmuring soft reassurances and rubbing his back.
When the little boy finally calms a little, Beca sits on the edge of the bed with him, unaware of the two women watching just beyond the doorway. "Hey, buddy. You have a nightmare?" She asks gently as he pulls back to look at her with big, glistening, stormy hues.
"Bad man." He hiccups, fingers reaching up to brush over the stitches on Beca's forehead. Beca sighs softly. So much for thinking he hadn't been affected.
She holds him a little tighter and presses a soft kiss to the top of his head. "I'm fine, you're fine, everyone is fine, baby." She reassures.
Jonah lets out this little shuddery breath before he nods. "Sing?"
Beca raises a brow and allows a soft little grin to curve her lips. "Didn't you just sucker two lovely girls into singing for you?" She watches as the little boy bites back a smile before shrugging like, 'I have no idea what you're talking about, mommy'. Beca chuckles before moving to put him back into bed and pulling the covers over him. "What do you want me to sing?"
Jonah licks his lips and looks thoughtful for a moment before he brightens with an idea. "'Hey Jude'?" He asks. (As if Beca could refuse his sweet little face.)
"Really? The Beatles again?" She teases with a chuckle.
The little boy gives her a look. "I like The Beatles."
"I know, buddy, I know. Okay." She puts on a show of shaking out her hands and taking a breath as if she's about to perform a much greater task than what it is.
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better…"
Beca starts softly, her billowy voice filling the room and lulling the little boy in front of her.
"Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better."
She finishes the second verse, surprised the little boy is still awake, and as she starts the third, she's surprised again when two other voices join her, backing her up and harmonizing - melding together in a way that has Beca's flesh erupting in goose bumps.
"And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder."
Jonah is grinning like mad, his little cheeks rosy with the effort as Beca, Aubrey, and Chloe continue on to the fourth verse. She can feel herself smiling too, glancing between the blonde and the redhead and blushing just a little as they smile back at her.
By the fifth verse, Jonah is asleep. As they step out of the bedroom and back into the living room, Beca sighs. "Thanks." She says, quietly. She can feel her chest tightening with the emotions that she had been working hard to keep locked up and is embarrassed to feel her throat burning with tears. She takes a shaky breath and holds it, in an attempt to stave them off, but she knows she's been had when Chloe catches her eye.
"Oh, Becs." Chloe immediately wraps her arms around Beca tightly. Beca stiffens for half a second before sinking into the embrace and it's enough to break the dam as a sob escapes from somewhere in her chest. Her arms wind around Chloe tightly as she burrows her face into the redhead's clavicle. "It'll be okay, Beca. Just let it out." She murmurs, and Beca just melts further into her, soaking up whatever comfort she can get.
"Bring her to the couch." Beca hears Aubrey say softly. She feels Chloe nod before she's pulling back and Beca's pretty sure the redhead was what was holding her heart together because she thinks she feels it cracking inside her chest the second Chloe's warmth is gone. But Chloe gently tugs her to the couch and lays her down, urging Beca to lay her head in the redhead's lap. Beca obliges, curling up on the couch and allowing her head to fall gently onto Chloe's thigh, her forehead pressing into the other's abdomen.
As Beca settles, tears still steadily falling, Chloe begins to gently run her fingers through Beca's hair and almost immediately, the brunette calms a little. She feels a blanket being thrown over her, but doesn't question it - focuses on the soft reassurances the feeling of Chloe's fingers gently brushing through her hair.